Swansea Girls (15 page)

‘Hello, Joe.’

Suddenly and acutely aware of the scent of Lily of the Valley, he turned to see Lily standing beside him.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you but I wanted to ask after Helen.’

‘You coming, Lily?’ Judy called as she and Katie walked down the steps on to the narrow strip of beach, all that was left above the tide line.

‘In a minute. You go on, I’ll catch up.’ Folding her skirt beneath her, Lily sat on the wall beside him. ‘Is Helen very upset?’

‘What do you think?’

‘I’d be, but I’m more of a coward than Helen.’

‘Helen’s not brave, just stupid. No girl in her right mind would have worn that dress to the Pier last night.’

‘I did wonder if we’d pushed her into it.’

‘Egged her on?’ he asked in surprise.

‘Not exactly. But she showed it to us before we went out and we tried to persuade her to wear something else.’

‘And suggesting to Helen that she shouldn’t do something is the best way to get her to do it.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s hardly your fault.’

‘But you must feel dreadful after bringing that boy to the Pier in your father’s car.’

‘Yes.’ He climbed to his feet. ‘But I’d rather not talk about him or what happened last night.’

‘Of course. I’m sorry.’

‘Stop apologising.’

‘Tell Helen I was asking after her, will you, please?’ Jumping down from the wall, she went to the steps.

‘Lily.’ He followed, catching up with her as she reached the beach. ‘I didn’t mean to be short with you. It’s just that after last night I’m so angry I don’t know what to do with myself.’

‘Uncle Roy always tells me to bite my big toe when I feel like that.’

‘I can’t imagine you ever being this frustrated.’

‘I’m good at hiding my feelings.’

He took a deep breath. ‘I love the sea. I’m still angry, yet I can look at those waves and almost forget all the rows and arguments at home.’

‘Were your parents furious?’

‘With Helen for taking the dress. She’s been locked up as a punishment. Forbidden to go anywhere except work for six months so you won’t be seeing anything of her unless you call, and that’s only if my mother lets you in.’

‘Poor Helen,’ Lily murmured, deciding it wasn’t a good time to tell Joe that she and Judy had been ordered not to talk to or visit her.

‘So, to change the subject, this isn’t last night and I’m not taking you home, but would you like to go out with me?’

Speechless, Lily stared at him in amazement. She hadn’t believed Helen’s assertion that he was after her for an instant.

‘Is that look a “yes” or “no”?’

‘I’m only allowed down the Pier and to the pictures with Judy and Katie.’

‘Are you telling me that because you don’t want to go out with me?’

‘I’ve never thought about going out with you,’ she replied, not entirely truthfully.

‘Because you don’t like me.’

‘Because you’re Helen’s brother.’

‘And that means?’

‘You’ve taken me by surprise.’

‘So I have to start slowly. I have to work tomorrow – a small part in a play being broadcast on the radio.’ He couldn’t resist the boast. ‘But how about the pictures on Tuesday?
Roman Holiday
is on at the Carlton,’ he added as an incentive, recalling that he had once overheard Lily tell his sister that Gregory Peck was her favourite film star.

‘I’d like to see it,’ she confided shyly, ‘but I’d have to ask Auntie Norah.’

‘So that’s a “yes” if your aunt agrees.’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll call and ask her permission, if you think it would help.’

‘It might.’

He closed his hand round hers. ‘The view is better out there.’ He pointed into the bay where two or three small yachts were circling buoys. ‘One of my friends has a boat. We took it out last weekend. It was glorious.’

‘I’ve never been in a yacht.’ She wondered if the friend was the one who’d torn Helen’s dress. ‘Only a boat on the lake in Singleton Park and once in Roath Park in Cardiff.’

‘Then I’ll have to wangle you an invitation next time we go. When would be the best time to meet you on Tuesday?’

‘If my aunt agrees.’

‘If she agrees. How about when you leave work? We could have coffee and cake in the Kardomah and fish and chips on the way home.’

‘A proper date.’

‘A proper date.’ He smiled. ‘I know Mrs Evans and Constable Williams are old-fashioned but I hope you don’t expect this to be the beginning of an old-fashioned courtship.’

‘I don’t expect it to be the beginning of anything, Joe.’

‘You haven’t been out with many boys.’

‘I haven’t been out with any boys.’

‘And I haven’t been out with a girl quite like you before, so this is going to be a new experience for both of us.’

Jack Clay was staggering down the path, bent double under the weight of a monstrous iron umbrella stand, when he saw something move in the garage next door. Not wanting to believe his eyes, he dropped the stand and craned his neck. Helen was sitting on a crate just inside the door. Running to the garden wall, he scrambled over it, landing slap in the middle of John Griffiths’ prize-winning dahlias. ‘What the hell are you doing?’ he cried, rushing into the garage and grabbing the enormous knife Helen was using to saw her wrist.

‘Jack!’ She leapt to her feet, only to sink back on to the crate.

‘I’m not surprised you feel faint.’ Grabbing her hand, he probed the cut with his fingers. ‘You’re lucky you haven’t cut anything vital.’

‘And you’d know about that,’ she muttered weakly.

‘Boys were always doing stupid things like this in Borstal. Here.’ Pushing her head between her knees, he wrapped a none-too-clean handkerchief round the wound.

‘I haven’t cut a vein?’ she mumbled.

‘No, you haven’t. And you’re a fool for trying. Why on earth are you trying to kill yourself?’

‘To put my family out of their misery.’

‘Wouldn’t it be easier to run away from home?’ Holding one end of the handkerchief between his teeth, he knotted it firmly into place.

‘It would if I had somewhere to run to.’

‘There’s always somewhere.’

‘Not for me. Not after last night when half the people in Swansea saw me naked. My mother says I’ve blighted my brother’s life as well as my own.’

‘He looks like the type who’ll survive.’

‘You don’t know him. He’s in university. He mixes with all sorts of smart people, important people ...’

‘Like the bastard who tried to jump you.’

‘I wanted to thank you for coming to my rescue but I didn’t see you – not after they took me to the police station. I wanted to but ...’

‘Fat lot of good I did both of us.’

‘That boy, he would have ... he wouldn’t have stopped if you hadn’t hit him.’

‘And he got away with jumping on you and tearing your dress to shreds, and I nearly got charged with assault. That’ll teach me to try to save girls from the crache. In future I’ll let boys in dinner suits do whatever they want.’

‘I tried to tell them what happened. How you helped me.’

‘If you hadn’t they’d have probably locked me up and thrown away the key,’ he acknowledged grudgingly.

‘I’m sorry. I behaved like an idiot.’

‘Not as much of one as now.’ Relinquishing his hold on the back of her neck, he tossed the knife on to a workbench behind them.

‘Haven’t you ever felt like giving up?’ She struggled to sit up.

‘Never.’ He grinned cheerfully. ‘It’s too much fun annoying people.’

‘I wish I could think like you.’ Unable to keep her emotions in check a moment longer, she burst into tears.

Wretched, with red eyes and nose, in grease-stained pedal pushers and cotton top, her face streaked with dust and tears and devoid of make-up, Jack found Helen more appealing than in all her painted glory and expensive frock. He had earned more clips round the ear from his father for bringing home starving cats and stray dogs than he had for stealing. Upset, abandoned, Helen needed someone and, as her family had so obviously rejected her, that left him.

Conveniently forgetting his promise to Martin that he wouldn’t touch her with a septic barge pole, he put his arm round her. She turned and sobbed on his shoulder as though her heart was breaking.

‘Hey, nothing’s worth this,’ he protested, embarrassed by her flood of emotion.

‘But don’t you see, my mother’s right, no one will ever want to go out with me. Not after what happened last night. I may as well die; I have nothing left to look forward to ...’

‘You kidding. A girl like you? Anyone would be proud to have you for a girlfriend.’

‘No, they wouldn’t,’ she wailed.

‘I would.’

‘Really?’ She stared at him, her tears distorting his face, making it wobbly and fuzzy around the edges.

‘Really,’ he echoed. And then he kissed her.

‘Do you have to go home right now?’ Joe asked Lily as they followed Katie and Judy along the beach. ‘If you don’t we could go back to the café ...’

‘Back?’ She looked at him in surprise.

‘I saw you there earlier,’ he admitted.

‘Why didn’t you come in?’

‘I could buy you a coffee, and Judy and Katie,’ he offered hastily, not wanting to admit that he’d half expected her to rebuff him. ‘Or another raspberry ripple if you want one. Then I could drive you home. I left the car at the Pier last night.’

She couldn’t help smiling. He must have watched them in the café for a while to note exactly what they’d been eating. ‘I’m sorry, Joe, but Auntie Norah expects us back for tea and Katie wants to help her brothers. They’re moving into our basement and they asked her to give them a hand to clean it after they’ve cleared out the rubbish.’

‘Next Sunday, perhaps.’

Sensing he was reluctant to go home, she said, ‘You could come to tea if you like. Auntie Norah wouldn’t mind.’

‘But she’s not expecting me.’ He knew how his mother would react if he brought home one of his university friends without warning, giving her no chance to stock up on food or arrange the dining room to its best advantage.

‘She always makes too much food.’

‘I could buy some ice cream on the way as my contribution,’ he suggested, wanting to make a good impression.

‘It will melt. Aunt Norah doesn’t have a fridge.’

‘Lily?’ Judy turned round. ‘You catching the train?’

‘If you walk to the Pier I’ll give you a lift.’

‘And if I walk to the train stop I’ll save myself a quarter of a mile.’

‘Lazybones,’ Joe teased.

‘It’s all right for those who are used to parking themselves on their rear ends all day in university,’ Judy retorted. ‘Try being a hairdresser. We don’t get a chance to sit down all week. I’m on my feet from breakfast until teatime, Monday to Saturday.’

‘Poor Judy.’

Picking up a clump of seaweed, Judy threw it at him. He laughed as he pulled it out of his hair, refusing to be riled in front of Lily.

‘Well, I’m for the train, next one’s leaving in ten minutes.’

‘If you don’t mind, I’ll go back with Judy, Lily. My brothers will probably be ready for my help by now.’

‘Lily?’ Joe asked, clearly hoping she’d opt to walk to the Pier with him.

Lily looked from Joe to her friends, realising the decision was more momentous than a simple choice between whether to walk and drive, or take the train.

‘As I sit down all day too, I could do with the exercise so I’ll go to the Pier with Joe. Do me a favour, Katie, tell Auntie Norah I’ll be along shortly and I’ll be bringing Joe to tea.’

Judy raised her eyebrows.

‘Come round after tea,’ Lily invited in an attempt to play down the implication of her staying back with Joe. ‘You can inspect Katie’s outfit for tomorrow.’

‘And give me some advice on my hair,’ Katie pleaded.

‘If you like I’ll wash and set it for you,’ Judy offered.

Lily waved and turned back to Joe. He held out his arm. She hesitated for the barest fraction of a second before taking it.

‘I must look a mess.’ Helen smoothed back the hair that had come loose from her ponytail.

‘Killing yourself is a messy business.’ Jack wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs.

‘You making fun of me?’

‘You’ll get used to it.’

‘I’ve heard about you, Jack Clay, and your tarts. You might have saved me – twice – but that doesn’t mean I’ll go out with you.’ Even as her anger burned she found herself wishing that he wasn’t quite so good-looking.

‘You could be
the
tart if you like.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘What I said.’

‘Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?’

‘There’s a vacancy.’

‘For how many?’

‘I only go out with one at a time. More gets complicated.’

‘And you’d know how complicated, I suppose.’

‘Let’s say I’ve tried it without much success. Would another kiss help make up your mind?’

‘No.’ She left the crate. Catching her hand, he pulled her back.

‘You’d be getting a good-looking boyfriend, unlimited motorbike rides and ...’ He bent his head to hers again.

Summoning all her strength, she tried to push him away but he held her wrists in an iron grip. ‘No more kisses,’ she remonstrated, as he grazed her lips with his.

‘Why?’ He moved on to nuzzle the nape of her neck.

‘Because it reminds me of that horrible boy last night.’

‘Give me a chance and I’ll help you forget him. So how about it?’ Raising his head, he gazed into her eyes. ‘Me and you?’

‘My mother would kill both of us if she found out. She went berserk when she discovered it was you who rescued me last night.’

‘Ten minutes ago you wanted to kill yourself to get away from her.’

‘You don’t understand ...’

‘Yes, I do, you’re ashamed to be seen with me.’

‘I’m not. But I couldn’t bear any more rows at home. You’ve no idea what it’s like.’

‘I can imagine,’ he murmured drily.

‘But we could see one another secretly. No one ever comes down to our basement. We could meet here without anyone being any the wiser.’

‘Sneaking around isn’t my style.’

‘It will only be until I leave home. I’m starting work next week. As soon as I save enough I’m moving into a bedsit. Then we can go wherever we like.’